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A review by the_novel_approach
One Breath, One Bullet by S.A. McAuley
5.0
Wowwwwww. This review is impossible to write. How can I possibly get across to you the utter brilliance of the world that S.A. McAuley has built here? Or the amazement and sometimes utter speechlessness I felt while reading? How can I possibly describe the complexity of the characters of Merq and Armise? And, by the end of the series, will I even truly understand what they have gone through in the name of political causes and country, and ultimately, for each other? I guess that last one will have to wait to be answered until I finish the final book – but, let me try to convey some of the passion and emotion rolling through me after reading the first two books of S.A. McAuley’s The Borders War series…
One of the marks of great storytelling is when the reader doesn’t know what’s coming. Throughout both One Breath, One Bullet and Dominant Predator I NEVER knew what was coming. Any understanding you think you have of the world, or politics, or even people, has to be thrown out the window, and you must completely immerse yourself in this new landscape. We begin in the year 2539, where a sixteen-year-old Merq Grayson is already deep into his training to become a Peacemaker (soldier) for the Continental States – one of only five remaining countries in the world. This is FIVE HUNDRED years beyond the world as we know it. There are five countries fighting for territory, and there is even more at stake in the political backdrop of the war – groups fighting for not just geographical boundaries, but for the right to promote and protect their very belief systems. And, at sixteen, Merq is not even the youngest soldier trainee; some begin much younger. In fact, we learn early on that Merq was literally born and groomed for his role in the war.
Told from Merq’s POV, as are all of the books in the series, One Breath, One Bullet is the beginning of the story of how Merq became a pawn in the Borders War, and in the political agenda of Continental States leader, President Wensen Kersch, and his constituents. During an assignment, Merq comes in contact with a black ops soldier from an opposing side; and from the first time he hears the man’s laugh, Merq can’t get him out of his mind. He learns that the other soldier is Armise Darcan, an assassin from Singapore who, as it turns out, is just as affected by Merq as Merq is by him. Through some very effective time jumps, and various flashes of their volatile meetings, McAuley conveys the developing relationship between Armise and Merq, and gets us to the final, explosive twenty percent of the book, where the events leading up to and at the Olympics change EVERYTHING for both men.
Dominant Predator picks up right where the heart-racing action of the first book left us. What happened at the Olympics has restarted the Borders War, and Armise has rocked Merq to the core by exposing some of his true self and feelings, adding to Merq’s confusion and stress over how he feels about his position in the revolution. The methods of fighting have changed, and Merq has been exposed to parts of the world, mainly the living conditions of the general populace, that have altered his perceptions considerably. The action in this book is still incredibly intense, but we also have a lot of time to really dig into both men’s psyches. Merq continues to question the wisdom of his relationship with Armise – he stated in the first book that he “wouldn’t allow someone else to be his fatal flaw,” and that is still a concern in his mind. I loved getting to know Merq even more, but my love for Armise absolutely exploded in this book. His growth as a character was incredible, and I found myself just sinking deeper and deeper into their story.
So much action. So much intrigue. So many heart-stopping situations and incredible characters. Neveed, Simion, Jegs, President Kersch…you’ll be fascinated by them all for different reasons. But, at the core of it all are Merq and Armise. Fighting for the cause, but perhaps even more so, for each other. I can’t describe how amazing they are – and, I can’t get enough of this story. Go grab these first two books while they are free and 99 cents respectively! Because believe me, you are going to want to read the rest of the series.
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.com/release-day-reviews-one-breath-one-bullet-and-dominant-predator-by-s-a-mcauley/
One of the marks of great storytelling is when the reader doesn’t know what’s coming. Throughout both One Breath, One Bullet and Dominant Predator I NEVER knew what was coming. Any understanding you think you have of the world, or politics, or even people, has to be thrown out the window, and you must completely immerse yourself in this new landscape. We begin in the year 2539, where a sixteen-year-old Merq Grayson is already deep into his training to become a Peacemaker (soldier) for the Continental States – one of only five remaining countries in the world. This is FIVE HUNDRED years beyond the world as we know it. There are five countries fighting for territory, and there is even more at stake in the political backdrop of the war – groups fighting for not just geographical boundaries, but for the right to promote and protect their very belief systems. And, at sixteen, Merq is not even the youngest soldier trainee; some begin much younger. In fact, we learn early on that Merq was literally born and groomed for his role in the war.
Told from Merq’s POV, as are all of the books in the series, One Breath, One Bullet is the beginning of the story of how Merq became a pawn in the Borders War, and in the political agenda of Continental States leader, President Wensen Kersch, and his constituents. During an assignment, Merq comes in contact with a black ops soldier from an opposing side; and from the first time he hears the man’s laugh, Merq can’t get him out of his mind. He learns that the other soldier is Armise Darcan, an assassin from Singapore who, as it turns out, is just as affected by Merq as Merq is by him. Through some very effective time jumps, and various flashes of their volatile meetings, McAuley conveys the developing relationship between Armise and Merq, and gets us to the final, explosive twenty percent of the book, where the events leading up to and at the Olympics change EVERYTHING for both men.
Dominant Predator picks up right where the heart-racing action of the first book left us. What happened at the Olympics has restarted the Borders War, and Armise has rocked Merq to the core by exposing some of his true self and feelings, adding to Merq’s confusion and stress over how he feels about his position in the revolution. The methods of fighting have changed, and Merq has been exposed to parts of the world, mainly the living conditions of the general populace, that have altered his perceptions considerably. The action in this book is still incredibly intense, but we also have a lot of time to really dig into both men’s psyches. Merq continues to question the wisdom of his relationship with Armise – he stated in the first book that he “wouldn’t allow someone else to be his fatal flaw,” and that is still a concern in his mind. I loved getting to know Merq even more, but my love for Armise absolutely exploded in this book. His growth as a character was incredible, and I found myself just sinking deeper and deeper into their story.
So much action. So much intrigue. So many heart-stopping situations and incredible characters. Neveed, Simion, Jegs, President Kersch…you’ll be fascinated by them all for different reasons. But, at the core of it all are Merq and Armise. Fighting for the cause, but perhaps even more so, for each other. I can’t describe how amazing they are – and, I can’t get enough of this story. Go grab these first two books while they are free and 99 cents respectively! Because believe me, you are going to want to read the rest of the series.
Reviewed by Jules for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.com/release-day-reviews-one-breath-one-bullet-and-dominant-predator-by-s-a-mcauley/